Eucharistic Reflection

Prayer Before Communion

Almighty and ever living God, I approach the sacrament of your only-begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. I come sick to the doctor of life, unclean to the fountain of mercy, blind to the radiance of eternal light, and poor and needy to the Lord of heaven and earth.

Lord, in your great generosity, heal my sickness, wash away my defilement, enlighten my blindness, enrich my poverty, and clothe my nakedness. May I receive the bread of angels, the King of kings and Lord of lords, with humble reverence, with the purity and faith, the repentance and love, and the determined purpose that will help to bring me to salvation. May I receive the sacrament of the Lord’s body and blood and its reality and power.

King God, may I receive the body of your only-begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, born from the womb of the Virgin Mary, and so be received into his mystical body, and numbered among his members.

Loving Father, as on my earthly pilgrimage I now receive your beloved Son under the veil of a sacrament, may I one day see him face to face in glory, who lives and reigns with you for ever. Amen.

(St. Thomas Aquinas)

He Belongs In Our Streets!

Why are we so ashamed of Him? Why do we hesitate to bring Him with us occasionally on to the streets we walk each day? An unrepentant sinner's momentary glance at our passing Lord might be the personal encounter that person needs to spur him toward reconciliation and eternal salvation. Jesus is alive, really and substantially present among us! He is ready to change the lives of all who humble themselves, confess their sins and acknowledge Him as their Savior and Lord! Matthew the tax collector climbed a tree in order to get a better glimpse of Jesus as He passed him by. Matthew got much more than a look. He repented and the merciful loving Jesus made him a disciple, a martyr and a saint.

 A simple glance at our passing Lord can change so many lives. Why don't we believe this truth?

 If they can walk with Jesus through the streets of NYC, shouldn't we do likewise in our communities?

God In The Streets of Syracuse, New York

For the first time in at least 32 years (and probably much longer than that) the Bishop of the Diocese of Syracuse, New York, assisted by a few of his brother priests,  carried our Eucharistic Lord in procession through the streets of that city on Corpus Christi Sunday. What an awesome and blessed experience for all those privileged to be present!

Several hundred faithful Catholics prayerfully and reverently accompanied their Lord and Bishop Robert J. Cunningham during the nearly mile and a half procession from the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception to the Franciscan Church of the Assumption.

Thank you Bishop Cunningham and all those who worked so hard to bring this gift to fruition!

No doubt, our Lord was immensely pleased by this public display of belief in His Real Presence. Only He knows how many hearts of onlookers were touched as their eyes glanced at the King of Kings, majestically encased and held aloft in His Monstrance.

May this public profession of our Faith and of our belief in the Eucharistic Lord forever remain a permanent fixture in this Diocese.

Hopefully, these few pictures will give you a sense of this memorable day. 

Promoting Reverence and Belief in the Real Presence

Our Church’s teaching on the Eucharist is long standing, clear and includes the following: the Eucharist must be the source and center of our daily lives; whenever possible Catholics Churches are to keep their doors open for some period of time each day to facilitate visits before the Blessed Sacrament; pastors are to encourage such visits; they are also to promote and encourage their parishioners' participation in Eucharistic Adoration, setting an example for their flock by doing so themselves; and they are to support the establishment and continuation of  regional chapels of Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration when their own parishes are unable to sustain such a vital devotion solely by themselves.

What a different world this would be if we were to follow these life-changing practices!

As someone who has spent more than ten years coordinating Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration in a local parish and encouraging this devotion elsewhere, it has been difficult to understand at times why there is so much reluctance, if not outright opposition, to promoting Adoration - this despite our Lord's invitation for us to do so and the overwhelming evidence of the fruits that flow from such devotions. Is it because so few Catholics still believe that Our Lord is really and substantially present in the Eucharist?

So when others speak up or take concrete action to promote our Eucharistic Lord we must take notice and give thanks!

Bishop Robert Cunningham of the Diocese of Syracuse, New York should be commended for taking "God to the Streets of Syracuse" this Corpus Christi, the first time in recent memory such a significant public worship of our Eucharistic Lord has taken place there. Why not take a moment to thank him (info@syracusediocese.org)?

Kudos also to the Knights of the Holy Eucharist who (Catholic Online informs us) are doing their best to "call us to Eucharistic Faith".

Why not think about passing up one of your favorite half hour TVs shows (it won't kill you), listen to what this young man has to say about our Eucharistic Lord and the response He deserves and then share his video with your pastor, family and friends? Thanks to Anne Costa of Charismata for having brought this to my attention.

This leads me to one final suggestion. Father Z is fond of saying "brick by brick" with respect to the need for liturgical reform. Maybe we who love and seek to promote Eucharistic Adoration might adopt "two knees at a time" as our rallying cry. What do you think?